Memories of Mei

6. Year: 1241 SL (Spring)

My father slowly crested over the hill and walked towards us shielding a parchment wrapped bouquet of white dahlias from the wind. He arrived back from one of his many business trips to Nidon with just enough time to see the cherry blossoms. My mother and I prepared a picnic to bring to the outskirts of town and sit in the center of all their beauty. Although Appa did not spend as much time with us as he would have liked, he always made sure to make the most of our time together. We played games in a blizzard of pink petals while my mother laid out all the food she prepared, including japchae.

The whole afternoon passed us by in a symphony of laughter and joy. When my father was not working, he relaxed into a version of himself that only my mother and I saw. A version where he was truly himself – where he was visibly happy.

This specific spring, when I was eight, Appa gifted me a cherry blossom necklace with pink sapphires. He made it while he was away on business because he could not stop thinking of my mother and I. Since my mother abstained from wearing jewelry as a part of everyday apparel, he made it for me instead. 

To make up for missed time, he always ensured my mother and I lived comfortably. We had the nicest house in Pastow. As a whole, the house was nothing short of a masterpiece with the kitchen at the epicenter of it all. Although my mother never put an emphasis on material things, Appa always brought gifts home from Nidon. I had beautiful clothing, the newest dolls, and, of course, magnificent jewelry. Meanwhile, he brought my mother new tools, cooking utensils, feathers and arrowheads, and, if possible, exotic ingredients and spices.

Looking back, my parents came from two different worlds. However, they never asked the other to change. Instead, they changed for each other. Their deep understanding of each other's boundaries and wishes is what made our family whole.